I know when a couple people saw my post about the Buddy Rogers card that I picked up were interested in the origins and checklist on these. Some of the details aren't a 100 percent clear still, but I believe I have picked up and completed at least the 16 card complete 1952 set (which would make it the first known produced cards of Buddy Rogers and Lou Thesz). The cards were mirrored by the calendars for each year, but were not produced or cut from them, rather they were apparently distributed as a unique item in and of themselves in factory set/pack form to people (how is still not clear as in was it part of a mailer or sent out or was it something that people ordered or bought at shows???). The actual cards, as opposed to anything that would be cut from a calendar, are shaped more like a credit card rather than cards with square corners. I have not yet obtained any of the cards from the 1953 or 1954 sets, but do now possess the calendars from those years that show who the cards were supposed to be of from which years.

Anyway, I am attaching pictures of what I picked up. (minus the Buddy Rogers card which was pictured earlier). It I'm sure will be of interest to any vintage wrestling collector.

Thanks. That's a good guess as to how they were distributed though don't know. Obviously there are not many people still alive from back then that would know for certain how the cards were given out, let alone who would post that info to an internet forum about sports cards. That part may die a secret unfortunately. I hope I can track down from some source out there all of the remaining cards from the (apparent) 1953 and 1954 just to complete the set. It's unfortunate this era of wrestling is not celebrated a bit more by the WWE, but have to think this is one of the rarest card sets in any sport from that era. I paid more than I probably should have to get what I did, but unlike the more modern sets where it's really the condition that's the extremely rare part, as opposed to the cards themselves, I didn't think I'd see many of these around again. I wonder if PSA would grade these??? It shouldn't be that way, but PSA really validates a set to most collectors these days.

Try getting the cards listed on wrestlingtradingcards.com and then PSA should follow. I think it is within reason to have the cards listed as 1952, 1953, and 1954 in conjunction with the calendars. I sold some of the ones from the set but kept the key cards. In retrospect I should have just kept them all.

Yeah saw your site, I think it can be safely updated with years now based on my purchase. I can give you the run down of the 16 cards pictured on each calendar if you need them. Presumably the 1953 and 1954 calendars were also based on cards that were produced and distributed in pack/set form.

I'm inclined to think the card were distributed (given away) as promotional items given out by the promotor or the wrestlers themselves. It's possible they were sold at events. I haven't seen any indication of mail order distribution.

I know when a couple people saw my post about the Buddy Rogers card that I picked up were interested in the origins and checklist on these. Some of the details aren't a 100 percent clear still, but I believe I have picked up and completed at least the 16 card complete 1952 set (which would make it the first known produced cards of Buddy Rogers and Lou Thesz). The cards were mirrored by the calendars for each year, but were not produced or cut from them, rather they were apparently distributed as a unique item in and of themselves in factory set/pack form to people (how is still not clear as in was it part of a mailer or sent out or was it something that people ordered or bought at shows???). The actual cards, as opposed to anything that would be cut from a calendar, are shaped more like a credit card rather than cards with square corners. I have not yet obtained any of the cards from the 1953 or 1954 sets, but do now possess the calendars from those years that show who the cards were supposed to be of from which years.

Anyway, I am attaching pictures of what I picked up. (minus the Buddy Rogers card which was pictured earlier). It I'm sure will be of interest to any vintage wrestling collector.

We would love complete checklists of all three sets plus usable scans to add to WTC. Let me know if you can help us out. Please either responder here or at card.info@wrestlingtradingcards.com.